Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink outfit donned by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adapting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by world-class batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
